Release Blocked Invoices
Functional Area: Accounts Payable / Release Blocked Invoices
Purpose
Use this procedure to release unblocked invoices and manage invoices that remain blocked.
Trigger
Perform this procedure when you need to release blocked invoices and manage invoices that remain blocked.
Prerequisites
Logistical invoice is blocked from payment due to invoice verification tolerance settings.
Menu Path
There is no menu path for this transaction.
Transaction Code
ZMRBR
Business Process Information
Logistical invoices must match to a purchase order and a receipt of goods before they are open for payment. The process of entering an invoice and having it match is a very fluid process. The degree to which an invoice must match the PO or Goods receipt is dependent on the invoice verification tolerance settings defined in the system (either on the PO or in configuration). For instance, an invoice may be entered but there is no goods receipt (i.e. quantity variance invoice block). Or an invoice is entered and a goods receipt is present but the unit cost on the invoice is higher than the unit cost on the purchase order and it exceeds the system-defined tolerance (i.e. price tolerance).
When it comes to manage logistical invoices that are blocked for payment it is important to note:
- The system will evaluate each invoice line item and if any line item violates the invoice verification tolerance settings the entire invoice is blocked for payment.
- As a standard policy, an invoice is automatically released from payment block when the root cause is corrected in the system.
One of the typical reasons why an invoice is blocked for payment is due to quantity variance. Quantity variance is when the invoice quantity does not match the expected invoice quantity based on the PO and goods receipts entered in the system to date. For specific shipping points a program has been developed (transaction ZAUTOGOODS) that will automatically enter required goods receipts for those invoices that qualify based on ship code and dollar amount. This practice is called exception receiving. It is also important to note that an invoice can be blocked for a more than one reason (i.e. quantity and price). Invoices that are not released using the ZAUTOGOODS transaction are managed manually using this transaction.
This management tool will be executed daily in the Accounts Payable Office in order to release blocked invoices prior to their payment due date.
Helpful Hints
- The R/O/C column in the field description tables below defines whether the field is required (R), optional (O), or conditional (C).
- On certain screens you may have to scroll to view some data entry fields.
- Run the ZAUTOGOODS transaction once this transaction (ZMRBR) has been completed but prior to resolving any invoices that remain blocked.
- Click to select all line items.
- Click to deselect all items.
- Click to sort in ascending order.
- Click to sort in descending order.
- Click to total a column.
- Click to subtotal a column.
- Click to filter.
- Click to view a print preview.
- Click to start excel while viewing the online report.
- Click to go to word processing.
- Click to change the standard layout of the report.
- Click to select a saved layout.
- Click to save a layout.
- Click if you want further web-based information about this transaction.
- Click if you need to call up another standard SAP report.
Work Instruction
Functional Area: Accounts Payable / Release Blocked Invoices
Procedure
1. / Start the transaction using the transaction code.
Release Blocked Invoices
2. / As required, complete/review the following fields:
Field / R/O/C / Description
Company Code / Required / Organizational unit within Financial Accounting
Example:
UC
Invoice doc. number / Optional / Invoice document number
Example:
5105600789
Enter a single value or data range as needed.
FiscaI Year / Optional / Period, 12 months as a rule, for which the company is to create its inventory and balance sheet. The fiscal year can be the same as the calendar year, but does not have to be.
Example:
2005
Vendor / Optional / Unique number that identifies a vendor
Example:
100005
Enter a single value or data range as needed.
Posting Date / Optional / The date on which a transaction in SAP will be posted to the appropriate accounts; SAP will default this field to be the current date, but changes are allowed. For items to be posted in a future or past period, you must enter the posting date.
Example:
04/05/2005
Enter a single value or data range as needed.
Due date / Optional / The date on which the payment is required to the vendor
Example:
04/04/2005
Enter a single value or data range as needed.
Purchasing Group / Optional / Code used to identify a buyer or group of buyers responsible for purchasing activities
Example:
UC
Enter a single value or data range as needed.
User name / Optional / Identification assigned to a user
Example:
CARASLD
This data refers to the user that entered the vendor invoice.
Ship-to Code / Optional / Code that represents where the order will be delivered such as Central Receiving or other receiving docks or to the department address.
Example:
9
This field will be used to assist with managing blocked invoices by dock; once it has been ascertained that the blocking reason is not dock/quantity specific the report can be run “open” so as to identify what the root cause of the blocking reason is and that information will be sent to specific departments electronically for resolution follow up.
Invoices blocked for docks 2, 7, 1 (Dock 1 invoices greater than $10,000) only due to quantity issues will be sent to the dock for follow up and not to the initiating department.
/ Any invoices which meet the exception receiving guidelines and have a quantity tolerance payment block only will be automatically released for payment. Accordingly, the remaining invoices require manual follow up.
3. / Perform one of the following:
If / Then
You want to produce a manual worklist / Select to the left of Release manually.
This option is typically used.
It is determined that the cash discount date in the vendor line item of the accounting document should be manually altered when invoices are released / Select to the left of Move cash disc. date.
This option is typically not used.
You want to ‘clean up’ any blocked invoices that have had their ‘root cause’ corrected due to the nightly batch run of the ZAUTOGOODS program or manual updates to PO or manual goods receipt, this transaction is executed (without any data selection criteria) / Select to the left of Release automatically.
You want to select only those vendor invoices that have a payment block set due to invoice verification tolerance configuration / Select to the left of Blocked due to variance.
This option is typically used.
You want to select invoices that were manually blocked by the AP Dept / Select to the left of Manual payment block.
4. / As required, complete/review the following fields:
Field / R/O/C / Description
Layout / Optional / Name of the layout that impacts how planning information is presented by the transaction using it
Example:
AP Dept Std
The report layout (columns present, sort, filter options, etc) can be defined by the user and saved as a variant to be selected at a later date.
5. / Click .
Release Blocked Invoices (2)
6. / Click .
/ The report will be exported to Excel then filtered by cost center and e-mailed (Outlook mail) to the required individuals.
Save list in file…
7. / Select to the left of Spreadsheet.
8. / Click .
Release Blocked invoices (3)
9. / As required, complete/review the following fields:
Field / R/O/C / Description
Directory / Required / User defined file name and file path on local or network directory
Example:
This option is used to specify where the file is to be stored.
File Name / Conditional / User defined file name for exported information
Example:
This information will default based on what was entered in the field above.
10. / Click .
Release Blocked Invoices (4)
11. / Perform one of the following:
If You Want To / Go To
Create the worklist online in SAP and make various reporting modifications / Step 12
Create the individual reporting subsets for the e-mail distribution / Step 18
/ The system displays the message, “XXXX bytes transferred.”
12. / Perform one of the following:
If You / Then / Go To
Need to see the details of an invoice / 1. Click to the left of the line item for which you want to see the details.
2. Click . / Step 13
Want to manually remove the payment block set on the invoice (i.e. release the invoice for payment) / 1. Click to the left of the line for which you want to remove the payment block.
2. Click .
It is rare that an invoice will be manually unblocked. / Step 16
Want to exit this transaction / -- / Step 18
Details
13. / Review the displayed information.
14. / Click .
15. / Return to Step 12.
Release Blocked Invoices (5)
16. / Review the displayed information.
/ The line you selected is now green.
17. / Return to Step 12.
18. / Click until you return to the SAP Easy Access screen.
19. / You have completed this transaction.
/ After you have exported the information to your local or network directory, go to the saved file and ‘auto filter’ by cost center to devise subset report listings. E-mail each required subset report to the designated cost center representative.
8/16/2017
Ver: / 07_AP_ZMRBR_Release Blocked Invoives_0_APProcessorApprover_02.udc
© University of Cincinnati / 1/11
Work Instruction
Functional Area: Accounts Payable / Release Blocked Invoices
Result
You have released blocked invoices.
Comments
None
8/16/2017
Ver: / 07_AP_ZMRBR_Release Blocked Invoives_0_APProcessorApprover_02.udc
© University of Cincinnati / 1/11